Dirk Nowitzki did what no other Maverick had done before. He won something at the All-Star Weekend. Dirk had previously come up just short in 2000 and 2001, but kept it together (with a little help from no replay in the contest) to take home the title.

That wasn’t the most surprising thing of the night, though. Charles Barkley actually spoke highly of both Dirk and the Mavericks. He said they’re an impressive team, but they just need to do something in the playoffs to prove they’re really a contender. I agree with him. If Dallas is going to be a true powerhouse in the NBA they’ve got to be more succesful in the postseason. Until then, they’ll only be considered a second-tier team.

That’s fine with me, for now. They’re still a lot of fun to watch and have great team chemisty. Something you can’t say for a lot of other teams in the NBA.